Decorative screens and rails



1955 R. F. SEERY 3,197,931

DECORATIVE SCREENS AND RAILS I Filed March 27, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 FIG.

I a ii:

FIG. 5 7

Arrow/[rs Aug. 3, 1965 Filed larch 27, 1962 R. F. SEERY 3,197,931

nmcomwxvn SCREENS AND RAILS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,197,931 DECGRATlVE SCREENS AND RAKLS Robert F. Scary, Lonisvi'l e, K assignor to Julius Blum e; 0)., line, a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 182,905 4 illlaims. (Cl. 52-455) The present invention relates to decorative screens and rails in buildings.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a system of component elements of relatively few different prefabricated sto en designs of elements which may be readily assembled into interlocking relationship to afford decorative screens or rails at the exterior or interior or both of various types, sizes and scales of a building structure, as required.

Another object is to afford to the architect and interior designer of building structures, a facility to interlock a small assortment of prefabricated stock elements to make any of a wide variety of individual patterns for screens or railings at the exterior or interior of the building of unique custom made design effect, at a small fraction of the cost of a custom-made screen or railing for the purpose.

According to the invention, the screen consists of elongated bars or mullions, desirably of metal, each with longitudinal grooves arranged in spaced relation and extending along the length thereof, said grooves being desirably of substantially circular, cylindrical conformation with the outer surface of the mullion presenting an opening of less than the diameter of the generally circular groove conformation.

The prefabricated stock elements coacting with the mullions and carried thereby may comprise any of a variety of different stock pieces, among which are a closure piece for closing a groove or consecutive grooves in a mullion, a spacer extending between and firmly connected to two consecutive mullions, a rosette, an adapter for a glass panel and the like, and if desired any of a desired number of other stock elements.

The various stock elements complementary to the mullion are desirably of aluminum or aluminum alloy as is desirably the mullion, and each of said complementary stock elements is provided with one or two beads unitary therewith, each head being of shape and size to fit into a corresponding groove in the mullion and accordingly being in cross section in the shape of a generally spherical bead, having a reduced short stem, joining the spherical head as a unitary part of the complementary stock piece, so that the closure, the spacer, the rosette or the like may readily be slid in place at its bead into a corresponding groove in the mullion. Thus, the closure serves to close the groove at one side of the mullion and presents a fiat surface. The spacer is a U-bearn section, which extends between consecutive mullions and has beads protruding outward from opposite sides thereof, to fit into corresponding grooves in the respective mullions and thus firmly to be mounted therebetween.

The rosette is a stock piece, desirablypresenting a dished, circular conformation, with one leg protruding from the convex face thereof, presenting the generally spherical bead to fit into a corresponding groove in the mullion or other upright and desirably another leg spaced from the first leg by the thickness of the mullion, so that there will be no looseness in the mount of the rosette. Desirably, a duplicate rosette is fitted on the other side of the mullion, usually in stair rail application.

As the mullion has a longitudinal groove at the opposite face of that accommodating the bead ofthe first rosette and nearer the opposite edge of the mullion than the groove'that accommodates the first rosette, the two 3,197,931 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 legs of each of the rosettes are preferably in aligned, substantially end to end relation when the rosettes are assembled to the mullion.

Desirably, the mullions may be spaced from each other at a variety of distances for a variety of effects, and the spaces between the mullions are closed by decorative panels of aluminum or aluminum alloy, plain, anodized, etched or enameled, each panel having a bead at two opposed edges thereof complementary to the longitudinal grooves in the mullions for secure placement between consecutive mullions. These panels may be of different assorted lengths in one and the same installation for a wide variety of ornamental effects determined by the architect or interior decorator.

in the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a store front incorpoating my invention,

2 is a front elevation showing an embodiment of my invention,

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 7 is a view taken on line 77 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a perspective view of a store front in which are shown the doors and an ornamental screen front 19 comprising a plurality of elongated bars hereinafter designated as mullions, more fully described hereinafter, which mullions have mounting facilities distributed along the lengths thereof for mounting prefabricated stock panels between the mullions, which may be of any of a variety of material, including metal or plastic, and some of which, as at 11 may have indicia, that are the elements of the address or name of the store or the like.

If desired, a small scale screen 12 at the rear of the building or store, similar to screen 10 at the exterior of the building and matching or harmonizing with the pattern of the same, may be seen through the front window.

FIGURE 2 of the drawings shows a front elevation on a larger scale of a screen assembled according to the invention, cross sectional views of which are shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, more clearly to indicate various embodiments of the installed prefabricated stock elements of the screen structure.

Referring to FIG. 3, sections are shown of horizontal parallel mullions 13, 14 and 15 which are secured at their ends to vertical mullions l5, 17. Each of these mullions in this embodiment is a rectangular bar, preferably of extruded aluminum or aluminum alloy. Each mullion has a multiplicity of longitudinal grooves 18, each extending the length of the mullion, said grooves extending in parallel relation at any desired spacing.

Referring to FIG. 3, for example, each groove 13 is of depth desirably more than one-half the thickness of the mullion. To this end, the grooves 13 and 13' at opposite faces of each mullion are staggered with respect to each other. he grooves 18' at the top face of mullion 13 for instance, may extend midway between two consecutive grooves 18 in the opposite face of the mullion. Thus, the strength of the mullion is not materially impaired by the grooves.

Desirably, each groove which extends the entire length of the mullion has a generally circular cross-section, but is reduced in width as at 19 at the face of the mullion.

This reduced width 19 at the face of the mullion is desirably symmetrical of the diameter of the groove.

As appears in the drawing, the grooves in successive mullions are aligned with respect to those in the corresponding faces of the neighboring mullions, that is, the groove 18 at the top face of mullion 13 is aligned with the groove 18' at the top face of mullion 13 is aligned with the groove 18' at the top face of mullion 14 and groove 18 at the bottom face of mullion 13 is aligned with groove 18 atthe bottom face of mullion 14.

Complementary with the grooves in the mullions are prefabricated stock pieces of various varieties. With the selection of a choice of a relatively few different prefabricated stock pieces, a variety of custom made effects may be produced in erecting a screen, balustrade or similar article.

Illustratively, there is shown in FIG. 3 a spacer 21 which is one of various widths of stock spacers. The spacer 21 is carried by and mounted between two suc- 'cessive mullions such as 13 and 14. Each spacer 21 is in the form of a channel member having a face panel 22 of width corresponding to the distance between the two mullions 13 and 14 that carry it. Each panel 2-2 has a pair of lateral wings 23 and 24 integral therewith extending at right angles to the panel. Each of these win-gs 23 and 24 has an elongated head or protuberance 25, 26 extending longitudinally thereof and complementary to the grooves 18', 18 in the mullions 13 and 14, for example. The protuberance 25 is near the panel 22 of the spacer 21 while the protuberance 26 is near the outer end of the wing 24 so that the respective protuberances which are of a size and shape corresponding to those of the grooves in the mullions will fit into respective staggered grooves 18' and 13 in the successive mullions 13, 14, for example.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, spacers 27 and 27 similar to spacers 21 but each having a larger face panel than the panel 22 of spacer 21, are mounted with their protuberances in the grooves 18 and 18 respectively of mullions 14, 15, a rod 28 of circular cross section, the same as that of the protuberance, being positioned in grooves 18 18 of mullions 14, 15 between adjacent spacers 27, 27' as shown in FIG. 2 to space said spacers 27, 27'. Illustratively, the distance between mullions 14 and 15 is much greater than that between mullions 13 and 14.

In FIG. 3 is also shown mounted on the bottom side of the mullion 13 a stock prefabricated fittting 31 designated a glass stop. That fitting comprises a base strip 32 secured to the undersurface of mullion 13 as by screws 33. The strip 32 has a Wing 33 extending at right angles thereto, preferably serrated as at 34, serving as a stop for the upper edge of a rectangular glass panel 35. The upper edge of the glass panel is positioned against wing 33 as shown in FIG. 3, and is retained in place by a snap in bracket 35', U-shaped in cross section, which has two Wings 36 and 37. Wing 36 has a lip 38 integral therewith which seats against a complementary lip 39 integral with the glass stop strip 32, and wing 37 has at its end a bead 41 fitting into a corresponding groove 42 in a lip 4-3 integral with the mid-portion of the glass stop strip 32. Thus, the glass plate 35 is efiiectively, yet releasably mounted in position between the wings 33 and 37. If

desired, felting (not shown) may be interposed between the wings 33, 37 and the corresponding faces of the glass panel 35.

In FIG. 4 is shown a horizontal mullion 45 with a closure plate 46 closing the top face thereof, that closure being desirably a fiat plate of metal or plastic and having illustratively two protuberances 47 identical with protuberance 26 previously described and fitting in the grooves 18', previously described, in the mullion. Illustratively there is shown a rectangular wood panel 48 mounted against the outer face of the closure plate 46 and positioned between the upright mullions 16, 17, the Wood panel illustratively being secured in place as by r .1 screws 51 extending through the upright mullions 16, 17. If desired, instead of using the screws 51, the wood panel could be retained in place by screws 51' extending through the closure plate 46 as shown in FIG. 4, the closure plate thus serving as the mount for the wood panel 46.

In FIG. 4 is also shown the installation of a prefabricated rosette element 52 on a narrower mullion 53 that has grooves 54, 54, extending longitudinally along the opposed faces thereof. These grooves 54, 54', just as grooves 18, 13', previously described, are. respectively at one side of the mid-Section of the width of the mullion and at the other side of said mid-section.

The rosette 52 may be of metal or plastic. It constitutes a plate 55 desirably concave at the outer face and convex at the inner face thereof, the mid-portion 56 of the rosette being relatively fiat. The rosette has integral therewith and extendin outwardly at right angles to said flat portion 56 a mounting arm 57 which has near its outer end a protuberance 5S complementary to the groove 54 in the mullion 53. Spaced from this mounting arm, and parallel thereto is another arm 59 that extends along the bottom face of the mullion 53 and enhances the security of mount of the rosette. Preferably, each arm 5'7, 59 on the rosette 5'2 is of length slightly less than half the width of the mullion. Desirably, especially in application to stair rails, balustrades or the like, a rosette 52 identical to that described, is affixed to the mullion 53 opposed to the rosette 52 just described, the protuberance 58' on the arm 57' extending into the groove 54 of the mullion 53 and a companion arm 59' is spaced from arm 5'7 and extends parallel thereto.

In the cross sectional view of FIG. 5 is shown the arrangement of two successive spacer panels 61, 62 similar to panel 27 and mounted in the manner previously described between mullions 64, 63 and 53, 15.

The mullion 64 is similar to mullion 15 previously described and mullion d3 is similar to mullion 53 previously described.

For greater security of mount, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, panels 62 and 62 mounted between mullions 15 and 63 are longitudinally spaced from each other as at 66 and are securely maintained in spaced relation as by metal rods 28 such as previously described, interposed in grooves 18', 18 in the mullions 15, 63.

There is secured to the outer surfaces of the upright mullions rs, 17 a closure plate '71 (see FIGS. 2, 6 and 7) in the form of an elongated strip identical to closure plate 46, the protuberances 47 of plate 71 fitting in the grooves 18" in the mullions 1d, 17. The plate 71 is retained in position as by set screws '72 screwed into the correspondingly threaded ends of the grooves 18", for example.

The transverse or horizontal mullions 13, 14, 15, 63, 64, 53 and 4-5 are secured'to the upright mullions 16, 17 as by screws 73 illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, releasably but securely to retain the parts in assembled relation.

With the construction above described, a multiplicity of unique designs can be produced from a relatively small assortment of prefabricated elements at a small fraction of the cost of a custom made screen.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A decorative structure comprising a pair of spaced parallel mullions each substantially rectangular in cross section and defining the vertical side edges of the structure, a plurality of parallel mullions each substantially rectangular in cross section extending transversely between said pair of vertical mullions in spaced relation, means releasably securing said transverse mullions at their extremities to the vertical mullions, each of said pair of mullions in its inner and outer faces and each of said plurality of transverse mullions in their top and bottom faces having a plurality of longitudinal grooves, each groove extending the length of the associated m 1- lion and being approximately circular in cross section with its open side at the faces of the associated mullion being of reduced width relative to the diameter of the generally circular conformation, the longitudinal grooves in the confronting faces of the adjacent transverse mullions being staggered with respect to each other, a plurality of spacer elements each comprising a rectangular panel having a pair of end wings at right angles thereto, each of said end wings having an outstanding pro tuberance of size and shape complementary to the grooves in the mullions, the protuberances on the wings of each panel being spaced from the panel by a distance corresponding to the positions of the staggered grooves in the confronting faces of adjacent transverse mullions, Where said panels may be mounted in place between adjacent pairs of transverse mullions with the protuberances of the panels slidably engaging the associated grooves in the transverse mullions.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which a filler rod substantially circular in cross section corresponding to the circular cross section of each of the mullion grooves is positioned in such grooves interposed between the protuberances of adjacent panels to retain said panels in spaced relation along the length of the transverse mullions.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which an elongated closure plate in the form of a strip is provided, said strip having protuberances on one surface complementary to the grooves in the outer surfaces of each of the vertical mullions and adapted slidably to engage said grooves releasably to retain the closure plate against the vertical mullion to define a cover member for such outer surfaces to conceal the grooves therein.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the 10 means releasably to secure the transverse mullions to the vertical mullions comprises a plurality of screws extending through openings in the vertical mullions into threaded openings in the extremities of the transverse mullions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 522,154 6/94 Dean 40-140 793,948 7/05 McDonald 40-140 XR 1,687,087 10/28 Farch 1891 2,134,894 11/ 38 Schubert.

2,302,586 11/42 Thelen 18982 2,313,723 3/43 Adler 40-140 2,360,933 10/44 Bunker 189--82 3,024,882 3/62 Blum 18982 3,063,520 11/62 Freeman 18934 3,096,861 7/63 Frick et al. 189'34 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,221,507 6/60 France.

1,046,295 12/58 Germany.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. JEROME SCHNALL, Examiner. 

1. A DECORATIVE STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL MULLIONS EACH SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR IN CROSS SECTION AND DEFINING THE VERTICAL SIDE EDGES OF THE STRUCTURE, A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL MULLIONS EACH SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR IN CROSS SECTION EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF VERTICAL MULLIONS IN SPACED RELATION, MEANS RELEASABLY SECURING SAID TRANSVERSE MULLIONS AT THEIR EXTREMITIES TO THE VERTICAL MULLIONS, EACH OF SAID PAIR OF MULLIONS IN ITS INNER AND OUTER FACES AND EACH OF SAID PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE MULLIONS IN THEIT TOP AND BOTTOM FACES HAVING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINAL GROOVES, EACH GROOVE EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF THE ASSOCIATED MULLION AND BEING APPROXIMATELY CIRCULAR IN CROSS SECTION WITH ITS OPEN SIDE AT THE FACES OF THE ASSOCIATED MULLION BEING OF REDUCED WIDTH RELATIVE TO THE DIAMETER OF THE GENERALLY CIRCULAR CONFORMATION, THE LONGITUDINAL GROOVES IN THE CONFRONTING FACES OF THE ADJACENT TRANSVERSE MULLIONS BEING STAGGERED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, A PLURALITY OF SPACER ELEMENTS EACH COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR PANEL HAVING A PAIR OF END WINGS AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO, EACH OF SAID END WINGS HAVING AN OUTSTANDING PROTUBERANCE OF SIZE AND SHAPE COMPLEMENTARY TO THE GROOVES IN THE MULLIONS, THE PROTURBERANCES ON THE WINGS OF EACH PANEL BEING SPACED FROM THE PANEL BY A DISTANCE CORRESPONDING TO THE POSITIONS OF THE STAGGERED GROOVES IN THE CONFRONTING FACES OF ADJACENT TRANSVERSE MULLIONS, WHERE SAID PANELS MAY BE MOUNTED IN PLACE BETWEEN ADJACENT PAIRS O TRANSVERSE MULLIONS WITH THE PROTUBERANCES OF THE PANELS SLIDABLY ENGAGING THE ASSCOCIATED GROOVES IN THE TRANSVERSE MULLIONS. 